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A Queen This Fierce and Deadly by Stacia Stark

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


After five long months, I finally finished A Queen This Fierce and Deadly, but it was far from the satisfying conclusion I hoped for. To be honest, it was a painful reading experience. I nearly DNF’d it so many times, but I felt determined to finish the series after coming this far. Now that I’m done, I can confidently say this book was not for me.

The biggest issue with this book was how much of it felt like filler—at least 70% of the content seemed unnecessary. The pacing dragged so much that it became a chore to get through, and I often found myself putting the book down for weeks at a time. There were so many characters that I kept losing track of who was who, and after a while, I just stopped caring. The plot itself felt unfocused, and without strong momentum, I couldn’t stay invested.

Unfortunately, the characters didn’t help much either. Prisca, the main character, was insufferable and hard to root for. Her choices and personality grated on me, and I found myself wishing the story would shift its focus to someone else. Lorian, the main male character, was also a disappointment. He had so much potential earlier in the series, but in this book, he felt one-dimensional, with only one personality trait defining him.

Ironically, it was the side characters who kept me going. Madinia, Asina, Galon, Rythos, and Marth were far more likable and interesting. Their dynamics brought glimpses of life to an otherwise tedious story, but it wasn’t enough to save the book. Even the villain, who should have added tension and excitement, was barely present, making the stakes feel low and the conflict unengaging.

The ending, while somewhat satisfying, still felt like a letdown. After slogging through so much filler, I expected an explosive or emotional payoff, but it just didn’t deliver. It was underwhelming, especially given how much time I had invested in this series.

What makes this even harder to swallow is that the series started off so strong. The first book was incredible, full of promise and excitement. It completely drew me in, and I couldn’t wait to see how the story unfolded. Book two was also solid, keeping the momentum going. But book three began to lose steam, and this final installment completely derailed my enthusiasm.

This book also caused one of the worst reading slumps I’ve ever experienced. I’ve tried picking up other books over the past few months, but nothing felt right knowing I still had to finish this series. I have only been able to read a few other books. Now that I’m finally done, I feel a sense of relief more than anything.

I know this series has a strong fanbase, and I can see why others might enjoy it, but it simply didn’t work for me. I’m sad that it ended this way, but I’m also happy to finally move on. It’s been months since I’ve read a book I truly loved (Powerless in May was the last), and I’m now on a mission to find my next five-star read.



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